Polytrichum Gametophytes

Polytrichum moss plants - male and female gametophytes - on Roan Mountain, Tennessee. The male contains antheridia in its antheridial head that produce sperm cells. The head serves as a splash platform for raindrops to splash the sperm onto the female plants. Moss sperm is motile and can swim and will find its way to the egg cells inside archegonia between the leaves on the tip of the female plant. Once the egg is fertilized, it will form an embryo that grows into a sporophyte rising up from the top of the female.

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